Course marker for cyclists

ABSTRACT

A course marker for events to be performed by cyclists includes means for supporting an object, typically a ball, to be picked up by a cyclist as one of the tasks to be performed in completing the event. The device is so constructed that it can be packaged in knocked down form as part of a kit containing other equipment for use in the event.

United States Patent [191 Manuel [4 1 Oct. 14, 1975 COURSE MARKER FOR CYCLISTS [76] Inventor: James Edward Manuel, PO. Box

627, Port Jefferson, NY. 11777 [22] Filed: Mar. 22, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 453,803

[52] US. Cl. 116/63 P; 273/1 R; 273/102 A [51] Int. Cl. A63B 67/00; EOIF 09/00 [58] Field of Search 116/63 P, 63 R; 211/14; 273/102 A, l R

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,091,997 6/1963 Byrd 116/63 R 3,292,569 12/1966 Trigilio 3,381,824 5/1968 Blumenschein.....

3,428,319 2/1969 Engle 273/102 A Kelly 116/63 P X Miller 273/1 R Primary ExaminerRichard C. Queisser Assistant Examiner-Daniel M. Yasich Attorney, Agent, or FirmRoylance, Abrams, Berdo & Kaul [57] ABSTRACT A course marker for events to be performed by cyclists includes means for supporting an object, typically a ball, to be picked up by a cyclist as one of the tasks to be performed in completing the event. The device is so constructed that it can be packaged in knocked down form as part of a kit containing other equipment for use in the event.

2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures ,7 US. Patent Oct. 14, 1975 Sheet 1 of2 3,911,854

COURSE MARKER FOR CYCLISTS This invention relates to markers useful for defining events to be performed with bicycles and the like.

RELATED APPLICATION The invention is broadly disclosed in my copcnding application Ser. No. 453,805, filed concurrently herewith, and is particularly useful as a part of the Apparatus for Timed Events disclosed in that application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A wide variety of equipment has been proposed by prior-art workers for use in events to be performed against time or against skill-testing requirements. Dcspite extensive activity in that general area, however, there has been a continuing need for simple and inexpensive equipment which would make it possible for events, performed by persons riding bicycles, small motorbikes, and the like, to be run on a family, neighborhood or schoolyard basis, with the events being performed over courses which can be set up and removed quickly and easily and which can be varied according to the age and skill of the competitors.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION A general object of the invention is to devise a knockdown marker, for defining the course of events to be performed by cyclists, and the additional capability of supporting an object to be picked up by a cyclist performing the event.

Another object is to provide such a course marker which can be of such low cost, and of such compact nature when knocked down, as to be practical for inclusion as part of a complete kit of equipment for use in cyclists events.

A further object is to provide a knockdown course marker which, at the users option, can be assembled as a simple marker or with the additional capability of supporting an article to be picked up, as a test of skill, by a cyclist performing the event in which the marker is employed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Course markers according to the invention comprise two support members which can be interfitted in crossed relation to constitute the marker proper; a standard which can be attached to the interfitted support members so as to project upwardly therefrom; and a support at the top of the standard for releasably positioning an object, such as a ball, to be picked up by a cyclist.

In order that the manner in which the foregoing and other objects are achieved according to the invention can be understood in detail, one particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the original disclosure hereof, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the device, fully assembled;

FIG. 2 is a top plan elevational view of the device of FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 3 and 4 are side elevational views of two support members which form part of the device of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The embodiment chosen to illustrate the invention comprises two support members 1 and 2, a standard 3 and, formed integrally with the standard, a ball support ring 4. Support members 1 and 2 are advantageously flat bodies of a suitable rigid polymeric material, typically polyethylene or polypropylene, and are of identical outline shape.

Member 1 comprises an intermediate portion 5 and two end portions 6 and 7, respectively, portion 5 having the form of a narrow-base truncated pyramid in side elevation, and the end portions 6 and 7 being in the form of arms projecting oppositely from the base of intermediate portion 5. End portions 6 and 7 have straight ground-engaging edge surfaces 8 and 9, respectively, which lie in a common plane. The bottom edge portions 10 and 11 of intermediate portion 5 slant respectively from edge surfaces 8 and 9 toward the vertical center line of portion 5. Intermediate portion 5 is provided with a straight slot 12 which extends along the center line of portion 5 for half the distance between top edge 13 and the junction between bottom edge portions 10 and 11. Slot 12 opens through top edge 13 and, therefore, away from ground-engaging surfaces 8,9.

Member 2 comprises intermediate portion 14 and arms 15 and 16 which have straight ground-engaging bottom edge surfaces 17 and 18, respectively. Member 2 is provided with a straight slot 19 which extends along the center line of portion 14 and opens at the juncture between the bottom edge portions 20,21 of portion 14. Thus, slot 19 opens toward ground-engaging surfaces 17,18. The length of slot 19 is equal to the distance between the bottom of slot 12 and the juncture of edge portions 10,11.

Members 1 and 2 can be interfitted as shown in FIG. 1 simply by slipping the unslotted lower part of intermediate portion 5 of member 1 into the slot 19 of member 2 until the closed ends of the two slots come into mutual engagement. In the illustrated embodiment, members 1 and 2 are completely flat and of identical thickness, and it will be understood that slots 12 and 19 have a width only very slightly greater than the thickness of members 1 and 2. Hence, the edges of slot 12 frictionally engage the respective faces of the unslotted part of portion 14 of member 2, and the edges of slot 19 similarly engage member 1, so that the interfitted members maintain the stable positions for the crossed relationship seen in FIG. 1. When members 1 and 2 are thus interfitted, ground-engaging edge surfaces 8,9 and 17,18 are all coplanar.

Member 1 is provided with a sleeve 22 and an upwardly opening socket 23 formed integrally with intermediate portion 5. Sleeve 22 and socket 23 are aligned coaxially along a line immediately adjacent and parallel to slot 12, and are spaced apart by a significant distance. The bores of sleeve 22 and socket 23 are of the same diameter.

Standard 3 is in the form of a straight length of metal wire or rod having a diameter such as to be slidably received by sleeve 22 and socket 23. Thus, with members 1 and 2 interfitted as in FIG. 1, the lower end of standard 3 can be inserted through sleeve 22 and into socket 23 in order to releasably attach the standard to the combination of support members 1,2. A portion of the length of standard 3 has been broken away in FIG. 1, and it is to be understood that the standard 3 is markedly longer than the intermediate portions and I4 are high. Thus, in the assembled device, the combination of members 1 and 2 is itself visibly distinct in pylon fashion, and the upper end of standard 3 is at a height such that a cyclist can reach it without dismounting.

With standard 3 supported in upright position by the combination of members 1 and 2, ring 4 lies in a generally horizontal plane at a height above the ground such that one riding a bicycle can, by leaning and reaching, grasp an object, such a ball, supported by the ring. While ring 4 can be provided as a member detachably connected to the upper end of the standard, the ring in this embodiment is simply bent from the main body of the standard as an integral part thereof. For the ring to serve as an adequate support for a ball, it is only necessary that the inner diameter of the ring be somewhat smaller than the diameter of the ball.

As disclosed in my aforementioned copending application Ser. NO. 453,805, a typical course for a cyclists event can be defined by a plurality of markers, each constituted only by the interfitted combination of members 1 and 2 but without the addition of standard 3, and by one or more markers including standard 3 and ball-support ring 4. The appropriate number of members 1 and 2 and standards 3 can be provided as part of a kit, the configurations of members 1, 2 and 3 being well adapted for compact packaging. A typical kit can include twenty complete markers. Since each marker requires a support member 1 and a support member 2, the markers are specially adapted for color coding. Thus, for the 20 markers, the kit can include members 1 in yellow, 10 members 2 in yellow, 10 members l in orange and 10 members 2 in orange, so that the user can assemble 10 yellow markers and 10 orange markers, or markers of mixed yellow and orange. The instructions for the kit can then specify that the color yellow indicates that the cyclist is to pass to the right of the marker, the color orange indicates that the cyclist is to pass to the left of the marker, and markers of mixed color indicate that the cyclist is to pass between two markers.

\ What is claimed is:

1. In a course marker for events to be performed by cyclists, the course marker being adapted to be packaged in knocked down form and easily assembled and installed on a surface over which the event is to be performed, the combination of two unitary flat support members each comprising an intermediate portion and two end portions integral with said intermediate portion, each end portion of each support member having a ground-engaging edge and the ground-engaging edges of the end portion of each support member being mutually coplanar, said intermediate portion of one of said support members having a straight slot which is of a width to slidably receive the intermediate portion of the other of said support members, said slot opening away from the ground-engaging edges of said one support member and extending at right angles to the common plane of said ground-engaging edges of said one support member, said intermediate portion of the other of said support members having a straight slot which is of a width to slidably receive the intermediate portion of said one support member, said last-mentioned slot opening toward the ground-engaging edges of said other support member and extending at right angles to the common plane of said ground-engaging edges of said other support member, whereby said support members can be interfitted in crossed relation with the slot of each of said support members slidably embracing the other of said support members along a line at right to said ground-engaging edges, said slots being of such length that, when the two support members are thus interfitted, the ground-engaging edges of both support members can lie in a common plane; a standard having a lower end and an upper end,

said lower end of said standard being releasably attachable to the intermediate portion of at least one of said two support members in such fashion that when said support members are interfitted and disposed with said ground-engaging edges on the surface over which the event is to be performed, said standard extends upwardly generally at the intersection of said two support members; and a horizontally disposed ring carried by the upper end of said standard for supporting an object to be lifted therefrom by a cyclist during performance of the event.

2. The combination defined in claim 1, wherein said standard comprises a straight portion which includes said lower end; and at least one of said intermediate portions is provided with an upright sleeve into which said straight portion can be inserted. 

1. In a course marker for events to be performed by cyclists, the course marker being adapted to be packaged in knocked down form and easily assembled and installed on a surface over which the event is to be performed, the combination of two unitary flat support members each comprising an intermediate portion and two end portions integral with said intermediate portion, each end portion of each support member having a ground-engaging edge and the ground-engaging edges of the end portion of each support member being mutually coplanar, said intermediate portion of one of said support members having a straight slot which is of a width to slidably receive the intermediate portion of the other of said support members, said slot opening away from the ground-engaging edges of said one support member and extending at right angles to the common plane of said ground-engaging edges of said one support member, said intermediate portion of the other of said support members having a straight slot which is of a width to slidably receive the intermediate portion of said one support member, said lastmentioned slot opening toward the ground-engaging edges of said other support member and extending at right angles to the common plane of said ground-engaging edges of said other support member, whereby said support members can be interfitted in crossed relation with the slot of each of said support members slidably embracing the other of said support members along a line at right to said ground-engaging edges, said slots being of such length that, when the two support members are thus interfitted, the ground-engaging edges of both support members can lie in a common plane; a standard having a lower end and an upper end, said lower end of said standard being releasably attachable to the intermediate portion of at least one of said two support members in such fashion that when said support members are interfitted and disposed with said ground-engaging edges on the surface over which the event is to be performed, said standard extends upwardly generally at the intersection of said two support members; and a horizontally disposed ring carried by the upper end of said standard for supporting an object to be lifted therefrom by a cyclist during performance of the event.
 2. The combination defined in claim 1, wherein said standard comprises a straight portion which includes said lower end; and at least one of said intermediate portions is provided with an upright sleeve into which said straight portion can be inserted. 